Have you ever heard the phrase “IT and the Business”? This phrase insinuates separation and difference between IT and the rest of the company. Us and them. Opposing groups who may be forced to get along, but don’t like it. Even though the IT Department has a continual uphill battle with “IT and the Business”, project management is perfectly positioned to help wage the war against this mindset. Whether you’re in an IT PMO, EPMO, or just a project leader sitting in a functional area tasked with leading a more technologically focused project, you can help. Here are some tips you can use to combat this paradox:
- There are No “IT” Projects, Only Enterprise-Impacting Initiatives – all projects should tie to a company’s strategy, thus even IT projects contribute to the bigger picture
- Governance is Not a 10-letter 4-Letter Word – governance is a repeatable decision-making process designed to manage a company’s capital investments; it’s a good thing!
- Watch Your Language – don’t over-complicate your discussions between technology and operational teams; simpler is better
- Bring Your Team Out from Behind the Curtain – projects bring people together from all areas of the company, so don’t be afraid to invite your technical staff to meetings and build those key relationships
- Dumb-Down Your Reports – create status reports that matter, and stakeholders can understand; report on the KPI’s that are important
- These are Partnerships – partnerships indicate this is an alliance and we are cooperating to deliver business results
The “IT and the Business” may never go away, but as project professionals, we can help reduce its use!